Our ex­perts re­veal the best au­tumn still­wa­ters, canals, and river swims where you can find that dream stripey - give them a try this week­end

There are hun­dreds of com­mer­cials and miles of rivers and canals on which to tar­get th­ese fish – so An­gling Times has com­piled a list of 18 favourite venues across the coun­try that are sure to help land you a new per­sonal best this week­end.

HAMP­TON SPRINGS FISH­ERY, HAMP­TON MALPAS, CHESHIRE

Fish­ing close to the is­lands on Alice Springs will give you a chance of perch nudg­ing 4lb. Try a straight lead or wag­gler with mag­gots and worms. Be­ing quite ac­tive and cast­ing into dif­fer­ent ar­eas around your peg will lo­cate the perch quickly. Con­tact: 01948 820789 Post­code: SY14 8AD

The Castle­field Basin in the cen­tre of Manch­ester has re­cently been taken on by Sal­ford Friendly An­glers. All your usual canal species can be found here in­clud­ing tench and big perch to 4lb, which can be taken on drop shot­ting gear close in or on pole or feeder with chopped worm and mag­gots. Prices: Free fish­ing, an­glers must join Sal­ford Friendly An­glers Con­tact: Sal­ford Friendly An­glers, 07985 733969 Post­code: M15 4ST

SHROPSHIRE UNION CANAL, CH­ESTER, CHESHIRE

The L-shaped basin in the city cen­tre is a crack­ing venue which caters for all types of an­glers. Renowned for its spec­i­men carp and pike, in re­cent years the perch po­ten­tial has been re­alised and 20lb nets of th­ese are pos­si­ble on worm fished down the track. Prices: Part of the £20 a year Wa­ter­way Wan­der­ers Scheme, see Canal & River Trust Web­site Con­tact: Ch­ester Tackle Locker, 01244 345069 Post­code: CH1 4EZ

WANSFORD FISH­ERY, DRIFFIELD, EAST YORKS

The Coarse Lake is fea­tures plenty of dense reed beds where huge perch to 5lb will lie up. Worms coated in Van Den Eynde Preda­tor Plus will give you an edge, es­pe­cially when fished on the pole over a bed of mag­gots and chopped prawns. Con­tact: 07887 662796 Post­code: YO25 8JJ

WHIT­MORE FISH­ERIES, PRE­STON, LANCS

The Is­land Pond, The Basin and The Club Canal have all pro­duced perch to over 4lb in the past. Use a straight lead or long pole over min­i­mal feed for the best re­sults. If you start to get carped-out it’s time to tar­get a dif­fer­ent area in your swim. Con­tact: 01253 836224 Post­code: PR4 3HQ

BIRM­ING­HAM CANAL, GAS STREET, BIRM­ING­HAM

This su­perb sec­tion of the wa­ter­way con­tains stripeys to well over 4lb. Tar­get them with a rov­ing ap­proach with drop shot or lure gear. Al­ter­na­tively, you can fish the basins from your box with the pole and claim perch on worm and mag­got hook­baits. Prices: Part of the £20 a year Wa­ter­way Wan­der­ers Scheme, see Canal and River Trust Web­site Con­tact: Wa­ter­way Wan­der­ers, 0303 040 4040 Post­code: B1 2JU

BRICKHILL FARM FISH­ERY, EYDON, NORTHANTS

Pegs in front of the cabin on the Bot­tom Lake fea­ture depths down to 14ft, and perch to 3lb love to sit here. Tar­get them with a leg­ered lob­worm over a bed of chopped prawns and red mag­gots in this area – but make sure you leave your bail-arm off so the perch feel no re­sis­tance when they bite. Con­tact: 01327 261 363 Post­code: NN11 3DQ

EYE KETTLEBY LAKES, MEL­TON MOWBRAY, LEICS

Lakes 4 and 5 hold perch to 3lb 12oz which of­ten fall in au­tumn to mag­gots fished in the mar­gins. The early pegs on Lake 5 fea­ture deep mar­gins of around 5ft and are best tar­geted on the pole with a whole lob­worm over a bed of dead mag­gots. Con­tact: 01664 565900 Post­code: LE14 2TN

RIVER BURE, HORN­ING, NOR­FOLK

The bank next to the Swan pub has pro­duced perch to over 5lb in the past. Tar­get the open wa­ter